Clothes bag structure

ABSTRACT

A clothes bag structure including a garment containing section having a hanger receiving element at the upper end thereof to receive a plurality of garment hangers and lock the same thereto with the hanger receiving element providing a single handle element extending outwardly of the bag and being secured to the bag such that the bag and the contained garments may be easily carried with the single handle member and the single handle member being designed for not only carrying but also for hanging the entire unit.

United States Patent Belland et al. July 10, 1973 [54] CLOTHES BAG STRUCTURE FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS lnventorSI James Belland, 310 Wildwood 1,089,692 3/1955 France 206/7 K R0ad,Wi"ernie,Minn- 56110: 792,279 12/1935 France 206/7 K Eugene Brown, 2600 Mayfair AYenuel David Dewuske, Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair wlldwuod Road: both 0f white Assistant Examiner-Stephen Marcus BC'dr Lake, Minn. Attorney-James Cwayna [22] Filed: NOV. 19,1971

21 A l N 200 354 [57] ABSTRACT 1 pp A clothes bag structure including a garment containing section having a hanger receiving element at the upper 190/41 206/7 end thereof to receive a plurality of garment hangers 224/45 T and lock the same thereto with the hanger receiving el- [51] Int. A456 l ement providing 3 ingle handle element extending out- [58] Field Of Search 190/57, 41 B, 43; wardly of the bag and being secured to the bag such 7 7 H, 7 224/45 T that the bag and the contained garments may be easily carried with the single handle member and the single References Cited handle member being designed for not only carrying UNITED STATES PATENTS but also for hanging the entire unit. 2,526,385 10/1950 Meyer 190/41 B 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 2,380,375 7/]945 Axelrod 206/7 K 1,895,208 1/1933 Salausky 206/7 K CLOTHES BAG STRUCTURE Any traveler that has carriedhis suits or other clothes in a clothes bag such that they will not beome wrinkled, knows the difficulty of trying to loop several hangers over his fingers, of trying to place all of the hanger ends over a support bar and when carrying this bag any particlar distance, the pain that can result from the hanger ends digging into his fingers.

Applicants have provided herein a clothes bag structure that incorporates a unique hanger receiving device, which device is designed to not only receive a plurality of individual clothes hangers but also provide a unitary carrying and hanging device for the garment hangers and the bag arranged therearound.

It is therefore an object of applicants invention to provide a combination clothes bag and carrying device which permits a plurality of individual hanger elements to be inserted into thebag and retained on the carrying device.

It is a further object of applicants invention to provide a carrying and hanging device for a'clothes bag which permits the carrying of a plurality of individual hanger elements while providing a single, relatively briad hand carrying device for the hangers.

It is still a further object of applicants invention to provide a carrying and hanging device for a clothes or garment bag which device is incorporated into the bag and which device permits hanging the same and the carried bag in a plurality of positions depending upon the hanging facilities available.

These and other objects and advantages of the applicants invention will become obvious from the accompanying description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which the same numerals are used to identify the same or similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a clothes or garment bag incorporating the concepts of applicants invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially along Line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially along Line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

In accordance with the accompanying drawings, a clothes bag having a carrying and hanging device incorporating the concepts of applicants invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 and is designated 10. The bag portion 11 thereof includes a front panel portion 12, a rear panel portion 13 and a side element 14 interposed between the front 12 and rear panels 13. The shape of the front 12 and rear 13 panels is substantially rectangular in shape with an upwardly and inwardly directedpon tion to substantially conform to the shape of an ordinary coat hanger or the like having a downwardly sloping portion conforming to the slope of a coat or similar garment. The midpoint of the panels 12 and 13 at the upper surface thereof is substantially flat as at 15.

The bag element 11 is provided, in the form shown, with a zipper or other type closure element 16 permitting access into the interior thereof for storing and hanging of garments.

The bag 11 having a relatively standard construction is not deemed to demand any further explanation except for the portion thereof which permits mounting of the hanging and carrying portion 17 thereof and these portions will be described hereinafter.

The carrying and hanging portion 17, in the form shown, includes a generally horizontally extending handle or carrying portion 18 having a downwardly directed end 19 to complete a generally hook shaped element such that this carrying portion may also serve as a hanging section. At the other end of the carrying portion 18, a vertical strut 20 is arranged and outwardly of the juncture of the carrying member and the vertical strut is a generally arcuate ring member 21 which will facilitate the unit being hung from a hook type element such as is available in autosand the like.

Extending forwardly from the lower end of the vertical strut is a hanger receiving chamber defined by a generally horizontal top 25 and apair of transversely spaced sides 26, 27. The chamber 24 also is defined by a closing frontal portion. It should be particularly noted that the bottom of this area is open such that hangers may be placed therein by inserting the hook portion of the hanger upwardly into the chamber 24.

Each of the two sides 26, 27 is provided with a passage therethrough designated respectively 26a, 27a such that a telescoping pin construction designated 30 may be placed and carried by the sides 26, 27. Each of these pin members 31, 32 is provided with an enlarged head 31a, 32a and the telescoping construction of the individual pins 31 and 32 provides a locking action once the same are inserted into the apertures 26a, 27a and mate in the center of the chamber 24. This telescoping construction not only simplifies the assembly of the device but also supplies the necessary strength for supporting a plurality of garments.

It should be noted that one of the pin members, in the form shown, pin 31, is provided with a downwardly depending, flexible length terminating in a substantially closed locking element, the length being designated 35 and the locking element 36. The locking element is substantially rectangular in shape and defines a rectangular slot 37 therein with a passage 38 through the wall of the member and an enlarged guide member 39 on one side of the passage 38.

The purpose of this locking element is to lock 3. plurality of hangers to the device. The slot of the locking device will receive a plurality of hanger portions therein and these will be effectively guided therein by the enlargement 39. When the locking device is in hanger locking position it will be in a substantially horizontal plane and for this reason the flexible length is supplied.

The construction of the carrying portion and the inclusion thereof with the bag element is best illustrated in the cross section of FIG. 2. In this Figure a first bag strengthening member 40 is supplied to overlie the chamber defining top 25 and extends entirely thereover and is secured to the bag. A secozndpair of attachment members 41, 42 are provided adjacent the carrying device 17 and in the form shown are sewed or attached directly to the bag as between the front panel 12 and the aforementioned flat portion and the rear panel 13 and this same portion 15. Eachof these attachment elements 41, 42 are provided with apertures therethrough to'permit the pins 31, 32 to pass therethrough and secure the same to the exterior of the'sides 26, 2 7 of the chamber defining section. The aforementioned locking of the pins 31, 32 when matedin the chamber 24 will effectively secure the carrying device 17 to the bag 11.

It should be obvious that it is necessary to forma handle passing aperture 15a through thisflat section 15 such that the vertical strut and the handle portion 18 are available for use.

The assembly of the carrying device 17 to the bag 11 should be obvious. It is necessary to obtain access to the interior of the bag 11 such that the carrying portion 18 and the vertical strut portion 20 may be passed through the opening 15a and the attachment members 41, 42 placed on opposit sides of the chamber defining sides 26, 27. The pins 31, 32 are then inserted through the apertures of these members and through the apertures 26a, 27a of the ides sand locked together within the chamber 24.

The combined unit provides a single hand carrying member regardless of the number of individual hangers that are carried within the bag and by the carrying device. The aspect of the locking element for retention of the carried hangers on the unit is unique as any user of clothes bags know that may times one or several garments will fall to the bottom of the bag.

One further consideration of this combined structure is the ability to more thoroughly close this unit and protect the carried garments than with the ordinary clothes bags. With this unit the clothes and hangers are completely within the bag. With the ordinary unit the hanger portion is exposed and water will often run down the hangers onto the garments.

It should be obvious that the applicants have provided a unique clothes bag and carrying and handle combination having certain features not found in the prior art.

What we claim is:

l. The combination of a clothes bag and a carrying device therefore, including:

a. a clothes bag having at least a front and rear panel with access means on one of said panels for inserting garments therein;

b. a carrying device defining a handle portion and a hanger receiving portion, said hanger receiving portion being arranged interiorally of said bag and said handle portion being arranged exteriorally of said bag;

0. said hanger receiving portion defining a pair of spaced side members;

d. said bag being provided with at least one interior flap member adjacent one of said side members of said hanger receiving portion, said flap having an aperture therethrough;

e. said one of said side members having an aperture therethrough; and,

f. a connecting member passing through said apertures in said flap and said side member and locking the flap and hanger receiving portion together.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 and:

a. said bag being provided with a pair of'interior flap members arranged adjacent said side members of said hanger receiving portion;

b. said flaps being provided with apertures;

c. said side members being provided with apertures;

and,

d. said connecting member passing through all of said apertures.

3. The structure set forth in claim 1 and said connecting member including a telescoping locking device locking said flap and side members and providing support for hangers received into said hanger receiving portion.

4. The structure set forth in claim 3 and a second hanger receiving element carried by said telescoping locking device arranged and constructed to receive portions of a plurality of hangers therein. 

1. The combination of a clothes bag and a carrying device therefore, including: a. a clothes bag having at least a front and rear panel with access means on one of said panels for inserting garments therein; b. a carrying device defining a handle portion and a hanger receiving portion, said hanger receiving portion being arranged interiorally of said bag and said handle portion being arranged exteriorally of said bag; c. said hanger receiving portion defining a pair of spaced side members; d. said bag being provided with at least one interior flap member adjacent one of said side members of said hanger receiving portion, said flap having an aperture therethrough; e. said one of said side members having an aperture therethrough; and, f. a connecting member passing through said apertures in said flap and said side member and locking the flap and hanger receiving portion together.
 2. The structure set forth in claim 1 and: a. said bag being provided with a pair of interior flap members arranged adjacent said side members of said hanger receiving portion; b. said flaps being provided with apertures; c. said side members being provided with apertures; and, d. said connecting member passing through all of said apertures.
 3. The structure set forth in claim 1 and said connecting member including a telescoping locking device locking said flap and side and providing support for hangers received into said hanger receiving portion.
 4. The structure set forth in claim 3 and a second hanger receiving element carried by said telescoping locking device arranged and constructed to receive portions of a plurality of hangers therein. 